


Things We Carry From the Past

by PrepSchoolAda



Series: DE Art Fest 2020 [10]
Category: Detroit Evolution - Fandom, Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: #DEArtFest, DE Art Fest, DEArtfest, F/F, Octopunk Media's Detroit: Evolution Fan Film, Post-Octopunk Media's Detroit: Evolution Fan Film, Sick Character, Sickfic, soft sapphics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:08:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24982105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrepSchoolAda/pseuds/PrepSchoolAda
Summary: DE Art Fest Day 10 - Sick FicAda has been acting strangely, and when North implores her to see Dr Schaeffer about it, it turns out it's very much a problem that North can help solve.
Relationships: Ada/North
Series: DE Art Fest 2020 [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799098
Comments: 5
Kudos: 27





	Things We Carry From the Past

**Author's Note:**

> feel like i've written this exact adanorth scene before
> 
> and you'll GET IT AGAIN love my soft sapphics
> 
> (idk how strong the proofreading on the next few fics are gonna be? it's been a very very difficult few days mentally and i'm struggling a little. but i wanna keep doing these prompts! they're a great distraction tbh. thank you for reading them!)

"I'm fine, really," said Ada as they sat in Dr Schaeffer's office, waiting on her return. "It's probably nothing."

North rubbed Ada's arm. "Yeah? Well that's not good enough for me. I need you around for a long time, Ada. 'Probably' isn't gonna cut it."

Ada smirked. "You want me around for a long time?"

"The longest possible time. So deal with it."

Dr Schaeffer returned to her office clutching a clipboard, and North sat up straight. Ada remained hunched over.

"Ada," said Dr Schaeffer, her tone somewhere between a reprimand and a comforting inquiry. "When did you last enter stasis? Your results here indicate extreme exhaustion."

Ada tilted her head. "I don't think that has anything to do with it."

"Well I do, and I'm the doctor here," said Dr Schaeffer with a patient smile. "Now please, answer the question."

North looked towards Ada, her eyebrows knit together. "Ada, I don't think I've ever seen you go into stasis."

Ada stiffened. "That's crazy, of course I do."

"Well, you're always awake when I go to sleep and when I wake up!" said North, her voice shaking a little. "Ada, please."

Ada's jaw clenched and she looked up at Dr Schaeffer. "I haven't since going deviant."

North rested her head in her hand. "Ada..."

Ada turned to look at North with a cheeky smile. "I'll sleep when I'm dead, right?"

"That's not funny."

Ada's face fell. North was rarely annoyed with her. This was new, and deeply unpleasant.

Dr Schaeffer gave Ada a sympathetic look. "It's important for androids to enter stasis regularly to maintain peak performance. We recommend nightly for at least 4-5 hours. Long periods out of stasis can lead to deteriorating health and disorientation, and in your case Ada, exhaustion."

"I can't believe you didn't tell me you never go into stasis," North muttered into her hands.

Ada put an arm around North. "I didn't think it mattered-"

"It does to me," said North firmly, shaking Ada off. Ada froze.

Dr Schaeffer awkwardly stood up. "I recommend sticking to a nightly stasis routine as discussed. If there are no changes in the next few weeks, please let me know."

*

North drove Ada home, and thankfully the car had a much less hostile environment than the one they shared in Dr Maria's office.

"I'm sorry I made that about me in there, Ada," said North, eyes firmly on the road. "I just worry about you."

Ada smiled. "You don't have to worry about me. I hate the thought of you worrying about me."

"Well, that's not going to stop me," said North. "I mean it. I need you around for a long time. I get worried when it seems like you won't be."

Ada looked into her lap. She still wasn't used to being shown affection, especially any as strong as what North gave her every day.

"I have a reason for not entering stasis regularly," said Ada in a small voice. "It's stupid, so I never told you."

"It won't be stupid, but if you really feel like you can't, you don't have to tell me."

Ada pursed her lips for a moment. "I want to."

"Okay," murmured North with a smile.

Ada stared out the window as she spoke. "Whenever I go into stasis, or try to, I'm all alone with my thoughts. I just drown in what ifs. What if I'd never deviated? What if I was still out there, being a monster? What if Cyberlife had never found out about me, and I was still with Kamski, and he was still experimenting on me..."

North grabbed Ada's hand. "None of that matters. I know that's not what you want to hear, but it's true. None of that is ever going to happen, not as long as I'm around, and I'm going to be around forever."

Ada let herself smile at that. "I know. It's just a lot. Is this the android version of not sleeping because of nightmares?"

North half-smiled and gave a small shrug. "Maybe."

North continued to hold Ada's hand, driving with her free one, and spoke again.

"So, if you never go into stasis, does that mean you never built a mind palace?"

*

That night, Ada and North sat perfectly still on their couch, eyes closed, LEDs spinning yellow as they entered safe mode together. Their white hands were intertwined as they interfaced.

North stood in Ada's empty mind palace, observing her non-existent surroundings. "No wonder your mind wanders so easily in here. We gotta fix this."

Ada gave North a skeptic smile. "I don't even know where to start."

"Just make it a place you'd wanna come to when you're in stasis," said North confidently, pacing around the empty space. "Somewhere you won't feel anxious or scared. Hey, what's your favourite flower?"

Ada thought for a moment. "Daisies. They..."

She hesitated. "They look like me."

North chuckled, her eyes sparkling at the revelation. "They kinda do, I never noticed! Good! Imagine daisies!"

Ada closed her eyes, concentrating hard. When she opened them, she was in a garden. There were patches of daisy growths on the grass.

"Nice," said North proudly, gazing at Ada. "Now, what else can we put in here?"

"A statue of you. Just a giant North statue."

"Whatever does it for ya, babe," sniggered North affectionately.

Ada and North spent all night working on Ada's mind palace, and by the time they were done, Ada was never scared to go into stasis again. She could never have nightmares or flashbacks in a space she'd built so carefully with the love of her life, after all.


End file.
